Timothy Colton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1947-07-14)July 14, 1947 (age 77) |
| Nationality | Canadian-American |
| Occupation(s) | Professor, historian, political scientist |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | Harvard University, PhD, 1974 |
| Academic work | |
| Institutions | Harvard University |
| Doctoral students | Daniel Treisman |
Timothy James Colton (born July 14, 1947) is a Canadian-American political scientist and historian currently serving as the chair of The Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies, housed at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs atHarvard University. Dr. Colton is the Morris and Anna Feldberg Professor of Government and Russian Studies.[1] His academic work and interests are in Russian and post-Soviet politics. He is currently an editorial board member forWorld Politics and Post-Soviet Affairs. He has been a fellow of theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences since 2011.[2] He is the brother of formerCBC RadioWashington, D.C. correspondent, Michael Colton.[3][4]
Colton was previously the director of theDavis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies and chair of the Department of Government at Harvard.[5] He was previously a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and vice chairman of the National Council for East European, Russian, and Eurasian Research.[6]
Colton publishedThe Dilemma of Reform in the Soviet Union in 1984, which dealt with the political and economic situation in Russia after the death ofKonstantin Chernenko and rise ofMikhail Gorbachev.[7][8] The book predicted that the tenure of Gorbachev would result in either moderate reform or increasingly conservative policy.[9] A revised and expanded version was published in 1987.[10] In 1995, he publishedMoscow: Governing the Socialist Metropolis,[11][12] which was awarded the best scholarly book in government and political science by the Association of American Publishers.[13]
In 2000, he publishedTransitional Citizens: Voters and What Influences Them in the New Russia, which presented a model for Russian voting patterns based on previously conducted studies.[14] The book was noted for its systematic approach to Russian politics.[15][16]
In 2008, he publishedYeltsin: A life, which re-examined the reputation and legacy of Russian presidentBoris Yeltsin.[17] The book received mostly positive reviews, which praised its writing and insight into the life and political career of Yeltsin. Luke March, in a review forEurope-Asia Studies, compared the book to Leon Aron'sYeltsin: A Revolutionary Life, finding Colton's arguments to be more "balanced and concise."[18] Political scientistPeter Reddaway, writing forJohnson's Russia List, felt the book had "outstanding merits on the psychological side" but that the book showed Yeltsin in a good light.[19]Jonathan Steele ofThe Guardian gave a similar review, saying that he felt Colton sided with Yeltsin on most events and backed the book "by a tremendous amount of research."[20]
In 2016, he publishedRussia: What Everyone Needs to Know, which is an overview of the political history of theRussian Federation. Rose Deller, writing for theLondon School of Economics blog, praised the book for its readability, in-depth analysis and "refreshing" approach to Russian politics.[21] This book was followed by the 2017 bookEveryone Loses: The Ukraine Crisis and the Ruinous Contest for Post-Soviet Eurasia, which is an overview of theRusso-Ukrainian war. InEast/West: Journal of Ukrainian Studies, Wolfgang Mueller called its claims regarding the origins of the war "quite simplistic", and wrote that "the authors pay tribute to the official Russian reading" by describingEuromaidan as a "violent overthrow".[22] On the contrary,Andrei Tsygankov ofSlavic Review stated that it was a balanced overview of the events.[23]
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